About Liss Graham

Liss is the girl next door who juggles a job, a husband, and two young kids. She had a lifelong struggle with her weight from a young age, constantly yo-yo dieting. Even though she would lose weight, she was never able to get beyond average with any workout or diet she tried. The Venus Index is the only thing that took her beyond average, and she now maintains Venus. From her success, she is now piloting Venus Index gym classes and coaching other women to attain the bodies of their dreams.
You can check her out at: Liss Graham's Venus Index Transformation

Interview with Pam

(Pam) Venus taught me that lifting weights is the only thing that will change the shape of your body. I was a runner/instructor for years but didn’t make time to lift myself. Venus started my love affair with weights and at age 50 I can say my arms/shoulders have never looked better or been stronger.

The most important thing Venus/lifting did was possibly save my life. I was hit by a car while running and because I am very fit and strong, I didn’t break any bones. I literally walked away from the accident only missing some teeth but that is it.

(Liss) What has life been like since 2014?

(Pam) My life since 2014 has been a roller coaster! It’s had many ups and downs. I was just a soccer mom who coached fitness classes and was a personal trainer until Dec 2016. That’s when my accident occurred. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had to stop working because I had so many surgeries to go through. But, I was able to start a website-www.theperfectbalance.guru where I have fitness videos, answer people’s questions about food/fitness, have some recipes, and send out a weekly newsletter. I also wrote 4 books! I never would have done any of this pre accident. I was happy being a coach and trainer. Now, my next chapter will be a motivational speaker! I’ve always excelled at motivating my students/clients and now I want to take it to a bigger level.

(Liss) What workouts are you doing these days?

(Pam) I lift 3-4 days a week, run 2-3 days a week and try to get one yoga class in per week. My 51st bday is in April and as a present to myself, I hired a trainer to get me in the best shape possible. Last year I had to take so many breaks from working out. Now all the surgeries are over and I want to see some great changes!

(Liss) What is your nutrition like now?

(Pam) My nutrition now is still on point. I know what keeps me full and how best to fuel my body. I know I have to get enough protein to fuel my muscles, lots of veggies, and water as well as enough healthy fats. I still use MFP daily to stay on top of things.

(Liss) What is the hardest thing about maintenance?

(Pam) The hardest thing about maintenance is that it’s all about the choices. That’s the bottom line. Life will always throw you curveballs, there will always be struggles and good times. You have to learn to eat for function and not eat your emotions. It’s so easy to get carried away and shove your feelings down with food but it never solves whatever problem is in front of you. It’s a daily choice and you’re the only one to make it.

(Liss) How do you stick to being fit?

(Pam) I’ve always loved exercise. I grew up with 2 big brothers who taught me every sport possible. I started running when I was 11 and haven’t stopped. Fitness has always been my stress relief and happy place. My body and mind are happier when I move my body. I plan my days around when I will get my workout in- it’s a priority every single day.

(Liss) Wisdom from one Venus to another, what is yours?

(Pam) Don’t ever stop lifting weights and staying on top of your food. We lose muscle mass every decade and lifting can prevent that. Our muscles protect our bones. Stay in control of your life, your workouts, your food. Know that you CAN do anything you put your mind to!

…. Wow huh? Pam is one amazing lady! She was also recently featured on Fit Radio, you can check out her story here as well 🙂

Since 2010, she has continually improved her physique despite health challenges and global relocations. Kimberly knows what it takes to maintain and improve your physique!

Kimberly, Liss, Jenny, and Lou Ann in Vegas

So when I thought about interviewing veterans about maintenance, this sweet friend came straight to mind. I have seen her in person and even worked out together; we got to meet in 2014 in Vegas at a Venus meet up. Kimberly looks every part Venus.

Liss, Jenny, Roly, Carla, and Kimberly after workout at the Cosmopolitan

Here is what Kimberly has to say-

During the VT1 competition back in Jan to April 2011, I set a goal for myself. An “Every Day Venus”. I wanted a body shape and appearance that I could have everyday. A body that was not dependent on heavy dieting, posing or lighting tricks. I wanted to learn a way to maintain a look that is athletic and lean….all the time. There is no doubt Venus has taught me that.

Kimberly in August 2011 After Venus Contest

I have maintained at Venus for over 5 years now. Every Day. At first it took some work and focus as I built new habits and ‘normals’ for myself. I was also a little scared about losing this new body that looked good and was strong and healthy. It took a while to realize that I didn’t have to be perfect and worry about things, I just needed to be consistent and gently correct the process when I got feedback from my waistband or body that I was slipping a little.

Kimberly in 2012 at Maintenance

My key learnings have been:

Aim for consistency not perfection. Don’t stress the small things; a big day of eating or a missed workout doesn’t matter. Intervening early when the pendulum swings out makes it easier to stay on track

Find a pattern to keep calories within your target zone as a lifestyle. For me it is easy to skip breakfast and eat normally the rest of the day. Look for low calorie substitutions you can use for every day eating

Lift heavy. You won’t look like a man and even if something does get a little more than you would like, it is easily reversed by changing exercises

Even if you have health issues, don’t give up. A strong and healthy body makes such a difference in managing symptoms and may even enable you to fix some of the root causes

Over the past few years I have continued to improve my metrics (refer to table). I am actually a little ‘extreme’ in my unders and overs. Each one of us is unique but we all have the potential to create our best body with this program. It is important to recognize that we all have our own look, and that you cannot ‘shop’ about for the best body parts from others. Celebrate what you have.

Kimberly in 2014 at Maintenance

In my original VT1 essays, I wrote “This is a competition and someone will win. Whatever happens, I have already won – I know my dream body, I know how to get it and I know how to maintain it.”

Naomi is a veteran Venus who has been with Venus since the beginning in 2010. She successfully transformed her body and has maintained, and even improved her physique over the past 5 years as she progressed into her 50’s!

Here is what Naomi had to say in her own words:

“Hi! I’m Naomi Sandoval. I live in the USA but I’m not fat. I really do look like this photo. It’s crazy. Sometimes I pinch myself to make sure it’s true! I grew up during the 1970s when being fat was rare. It wasn’t rare in my family though. We all accepted that once we became adults, we’d get fat.

I skirted this “inevitability” thanks to the 1980s gym bug. I used exercise to stay ahead of weight gain. Until my mid-30s, I worked out 5 nights a week for 1-2 hours and was a weekend warrior doing whitewater C1 slalom paddling on rivers all up and down the east coast. It was a fun time for sure! I was also happy to preach to anyone about my way of life. Funny how my coworkers, all parents, didn’t really look too interested!

Unfortunately, this plan requires that you stick with it; eating more than you burn is going to lead to weight gain. There isn’t any magic ticket. I definitely fell prey to the work it off mentality.

When I became a mom, gym time came screeching to a halt and weekend warrior exploits became a fond memory.

Like most people, I found becoming a parent so time-consuming that I was not able to stay consistent with my workouts and I fell into the trap of believing that the weight gain was a result of pregnancy. I was told to love and accept my new body and be grateful for what it had given me.

Yet every morning, before I got out of bed, I felt my bloated flabby middle and wondered how I’d gotten like this. I’d remember what leanness felt like and do some magical thinking that today would be the day I’d wake up and find out this had all been a bad dream and I was still lean and trim as I’d ever been.

I’ll grant you that having small children is all consuming and is no time for personal growth. But that doesn’t do anything to temper the niggling feelings of dissatisfaction when you see this in the mirror.

If you look at many of my before photos, I’m slumping because I was constantly exhausted and in pain and didn’t even have the strength to sit properly, my smile is not exactly dazzling.

I wish I’d known then that eating less doesn’t take up any time! Heck, not eating at all once or twice a week is a huge time saver! And who doesn’t enjoy the added bonus of saving money on the cost of food not purchased! Letting go of the mythical 2000 calories a day I thought I got to eat (which did require some mourning, I’ll grant you) and finding out how much I actually needed to maintain and how much I needed to eat to reduce fat was like discovering the Secret to Life, the Universe and Everything! I’d become immobilized because I assumed if it took years to put the weight on, it followed that it took years to take it off. In actual fact, the bulk of my weight came off at about a pound per week. Towards the very end, that rate slowed to about ½ pound per week or less, which is excellent progress to avoid fat loss rebounds upon hitting the goal. After all, fat loss does require focus and effort. There’s no need to risk needing to do it all again or worse, rebounding and concluding that diets don’t work or your metabolism is broken!

The other piece of my journey was becoming aware of brilliant Venus Index ratio research as outlined in the Venus Index Workout program. Simply learning what was still not quite ideal about my shape and how to continue to make improvements has made all the difference. Achieving the ideal metrics has allowed me to finally present my body with full confidence.

A most wonderful thing happened to my family after my transformation. My husband jumped on board too! I won’t lie to you. It’s not possible to change your partner nor force them to do something they are not ready and willing to do. I’ll share a little secret with you should you find yourself in the same situation.

There are free podcasts! All the research, all the experiences of the winners, it’s all in there. So all you have to do is pop one in while you’re in the car together or doing dishes and let John’s soothing voice wash over your unsuspecting partner. I’m telling you, this stuff is pure gold! And when you’re ready to get out of The Matrix, get the Uncensored Podcasts.

Happy Bonus Results of Getting Lean and Strong

Pain management. Gone are the expensive supplements for joint pain. So long as I don’t get sedentary, I rarely suffer any neck or back pain and now these are caused by occasional lapses in correct movement form. My posture is easier to maintain when my muscles are strong and developed in a balanced fashion as per the Venus Index Program

Energy. It’s a funny thing about working out. Expended energy begets bonus energy for every day living.

Strength. Before it was a job to do the most basic of things like get on and off the toilet or squat down and get something from the floor.

Success spillover. Due to the Attitude of Accomplishment from following simple programs and seeing consistent results, other areas of my life fall into place.

Family success spillover. We are now all exercising consistently and have improved our body fat levels. Through leading by example, the family lifestyle of health just is. There is no nagging nor persuading the kids to move and they understand about enjoying treats, just not every day.

Sleep. There is nothing like being healthy, movement and the feeling of accomplishment to facilitate healthy sleep.

Mental focus. Gone are the binge induced foggy afternoons. The losing the thread of the conversation.

I come from a time when it was not the norm to be fat. I see us winding up in wheelchairs like in the movie Wall-E and far sooner than we all think. I would like to be the touchstone you can believe in as you find your way on your own journey to your best self. I want us to reverse this trend and return to being lean. As with all growth, you must take responsibility for your journey. I am here to offer experience, wisdom and motivation. You do the rest.

Keturah has been using Venus systems for over 5 years! Her transformation stretches out further than a 12 week period though, she has lost over ONE HUNDRED pounds!

Keturah through the weight loss over the years

(Left) Keturah at her heaviest before finding Venus in 2011

(Middle) Keturah in the middle of her transformation at about 190 lbs in November of 2011

(Right) in the middle of her transformation at about 180 lbs in February of 2012

Here is what Keturah had to say in her own words:

Maintenance: Choosing life.

Maintenance is something you don’t hear much about. The fitness world is full of shiny before and after photos with big shiny smiles to match. What no one seems to talk about is the daily practice of life.

There are some things that set apart maintenance from deficit. Let’s focus on what comprises this brave new world.

Mindset.

I recently reread some of my old blog posts. It was such a wise voice, and it was speaking to me now. (The value of listening to ourselves is great!) First, let me level with you: I am no different than anyone else. Fear creeps in. Old thought patterns start repeating. Fear of rebound weight gain. Fear of not being able to do it. Fear of looking too thin. Fear of people being negative. Fear of not maintaining it for life. Fear of disordered eating. Fear of putting my value in my looks, and not in who I AM INSIDE.

I think the last argument “Fear of putting my value in my looks, and not in who I AM INSIDE” is especially real. It’s a fear that many women deal with in our current culture. I’ve come to realize that while weight, size, shape, and body shape are not my source of identity, being overweight and unhappy with my body can be a road block to feeling good about myself. My insecurity about my body, the shame and guilt I have felt in being overweight: it was real. Learning that I could change that was empowering. But also learning that my body doesn’t define me is a mindset that has taken longer to sink in and takes daily practice.Value where you are at NOW. Comparison is the thief of joy. We all know that popular quote. Sometimes the comparison isn’t with other people, it’s with ourselves. We can lose a lot of joy comparing ourselves to the past or even to perhaps unrealistic goals and standards. Maybe right now it tough and you don’t particularly feel joy. That’s okay. I am learning to ask myself questions. Why am I feeling this way? I keep asking why. Doing this helps me get to the root of lingering insecurities or issues. I also find out that what scares me is usually not as huge as I’ve made it in my head.

We think this journey of self introspection disappears when we enter maintenance mode. It doesn’t. If anything, it began a new season of asking questions, dealing with some old triggers, and learning to trust ourselves in new ways during new seasons and situations. Which is why we also need to work on habits.

Habits.

Fear can hold us hostage and make us freak out! But the truth is, it’s about choices, not fears. I choose to be healthy. I choose to eat supportive foods that will help my Hashimoto’s autoimmune disease and fibromyalgia. I choose to lift weights so I’m strong, lean, slender, and pain-free. I choose to walk to have head space, time to think, reflect, and enjoy the outdoors. I choose to stretch to be flexible, limber, and feel good. I choose to be at peace with my body and take steps that will enable me to continue being Venus for life.

Maintenance is not automatic. It is about daily choices, habits and goals. This isn’t glamorous. Habits are choices we make and continue making everyday. I can choose to say “no” to fear and listen to the truth. I can choose not to let my circumstances and past, worries about the future, and other things define me, but to take a step forward and embrace the present, choose joy, and keep stepping forward up the mountain.

I liken maintenance to keeping the house neat, or perhaps tending the garden after the plants have started growing. If you let the little things go–laundry and dishes pile up, floors need swept, garbage overflowing, weeds growing wild–pretty soon the place is a disaster needing a complete cleaning and overhaul. Some daily tidying and daily weeding would have kept those things from happening. Some days we let things go. It’s about attending to the dishes before the pile gets too big. Or put it this way: it’s paying of the credit card bill at the end of the month instead of letting it stack up for a couple of years until it becomes a mountain of debt!

The habits you begin and consistently choose and practice will be habits that keep you going, even if they change in form. My daily habits are movement (for me that’s resistance training, flexibility, and walking); including protein and either fruit or vegetables at most meals; good rest; hobbies I love (makeup, knitting, and reading are just a few!) and relaxing with my husband on the weekends. I am learning to balance my meals and intake. If we go out on a brewery tour I will enjoy a burger and beer. The next meal or day, I have my coffee but enjoy water, fruit, salad, and some light protein for the rest of the meals. There is no punishment, no reproach. No starvation, no forcing of food. I just listen to myself.

Seasons.

Maintenance is the season I have really learned to enjoy living life and how to be flexible. Shortly after reaching my Venus metrics a couple years ago, I was still in “get competition lean” mode. It took a couple months for me to realize I wasn’t really getting anywhere with all my hard work and was frustrated. Mostly, it was mental. I decided to do something crazy. I stopped trying so dang hard to reach smaller metrics, body goals, and all the other stuff I deemed necessary to joy. Instead, I let go. I began listening to my body, doing what felt both right and good, and relaxing about the rest. It was, and still is, the very best thing for me. I learned another lesson in trusting myself. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting competition lean. But it’s a season, and for many it isn’t a season that can be stretched out for indefinite periods of time. Sometimes we have to count the cost. The cost at the time wasn’t best for me.

There is also adaptive components to maintenance. I am learning to change up my routine or my workout when I feel unmotivated about workouts. There are also life changes that require workouts changes. My husband and I recently relocated 2300 miles, from mountain life to ocean life. While I had spent the last couple years lifting heavy weights at the gym, I was suddenly faced with a new challenge. There was no gym and our new home didn’t have space for heavy weights. At first, I was frustrated. What was I going to do now? I quickly realized my new life change meant a change in my training. This wasn’t an easy change at first. The first few weeks of no gym I had a lot of anxiety! Heavy weightlifting had become a security blanket and it was time to put it away for a while. Without access to the barbell rack, I’ve had a chance to work on some old gymnastic training, flexibility, and explore other workouts–areas I neglected for years, and that I really missed doing.

Final thoughts.

Honestly, maintenance is about learning to live from out truest, healthiest selves. The main focus of fat loss phase is so you can make changes in your body and, most importantly and what gets left out by a lot of people, live life with new lifelong habits, and keeping Venus tools for when you do let the house go and need to whip it back into shape. You learn to listen to yourself, learn what works best for you, what is sustainable, what is joyful. You learn balance.

Maintenance is choosing to be Venus for LIFE.

Ketty’s Metrics Using Venus

(Note Keturah had lost about 100 lbs before even finding Venus in 2011 on her own! WOW!)

Weight

Height

Waist

Shoulders

Hips

June 2011

217 lb

71 in

~35.5 in

~46 in

~50 in

April 2016

175 lb

71 in

27.5 in

43 in

42 in

Deltas

-42 lb

0 in

-8 in

-3 in

-8 in

Keturah Happily Ever After Maintaining at her Wedding in Summer 2015

Watch Keturah’s interview with Liss below:

Listen to Keturah’s interview with Liss below, or download it for later:

Carly has been using Venus systems for over 3 years. She did a phenomenal job with her initial transformation and her continued results display the hard work she puts in. Her transformation stretches out further than a 12 week period though, she has lost FORTY pounds using Venus!

Carly before starting Venus in 2013 and after VT14, unbelievable!

Here is what Carly had to say in her own words:

Before children, I never worked out. I never counted calories. I didn’t have to work hard to keep my figure. I was young then too and now I’m older. All my factors have changed so I need to change my habits in order to keep the figure I desire. I am thirty two years old. I have two children. My son is six years old and my daughter is three years old. I found Venus in June 2013, two months after I had my daughter. I had a lot of weight to lose. I was ready to hit the gym to lose my baby weight. Liss Graham was teaching Venus at my local gym so I decided to join her class. By April 2014, I hit my weight loss goal. I had dropped FORTY-FIVE pounds! I was in my measurement goals with the nutrition calculator. But once I hit that goal, I already had another goal in mind. TONING!! I kept using Venus from April 2014 to May 2015 but I felt like I was just in the motion and not really learning or thinking about how to better myself. I felt like I was in limbo. For me, it has been hard to build muscle. I didn’t know what I was doing. I felt stronger every time I lifted and I was getting sore but I couldn’t grow. I wasn’t pushing myself to the level I could have gone. Even though, I was very successful with weight loss, I felt like I didn’t know how to maintain my weight and I didn’t know how to tone the muscles. For me it was like, “Well, I lost all this weight but now what?” I felt uneducated on how to maintain my weight and build muscle at the same time. To reach this goal and to get motivated again, I decided to join a contest. I felt like I truly started TONING when VT14 started. When I joined the VT14 my mission was to tone up every muscle from head to toe. I added more days of lifting. I went to the gym six days of the week instead of the recommended three. I watched my intake more. I researched more by listening to podcasts and reading fitness articles. I started following fitness guru’s on Instagram and facebook. I dedicated more time to reading and understanding the VENUS program. Sometimes I even worked out twice a day. I took advice from other Venus expertise. Liss Graham came for visits at my gym and I learned from her every time. She’s an AMAZING coach by the way! I took professional pictures every 6 weeks to help push me along. I had some vacations during the contest and I didn’t want it to derail me. I used myfitnesspal and held myself accountable for every meal. I was dedicated to making progress. Twelve weeks later, I felt like I had the body of my dreams. I know what to do now to keep my transformation. I can see my growth with photos. I know how to keep toning my body without being lost in the process. Venus has educated me on how to be healthy and fit for life. Venus has helped me reach my weight loss goal and my toning goal. Venus has given me the body that I craved. Before children, I weighted one hundred and seventeen pounds. I weigh less now and have way more muscle. I look way better after kids then I ever did before kids. I have been very successful with Venus and have hit many goals. I didn’t know anything about fitness before Venus. I think everyone should watch the how to videos and learn how to eat right and learn what a simple carb is versus a complex carb. I literally didn’t know anything! The biggest change for me is making trips to the grocery store. I know not to just look at the pretty labels on the boxes that are misleading to shoppers. I know how to read ingredients and what to look for in them. I read the nutrition label, which I used to ignore. Venus has changed my life and for the better. I eat clean now. I have the confidence and education it takes to make Venus a lifestyle and not a fad. I’ve done it for three years and I plan on doing it for the rest of my life. It is too good of a program to ever stop doing.

Carly’s Metrics

Weight

Height

Waist

Shoulders

Hips

June 2013

150 lb

63 in

33.5 in

41.5 in

42.5 in

February 2016

113 lb

63 in

26.8 in

36.0 in

36 in

Deltas

-37 lb

0 in

-6.7 in

-5.5 in

-6.5 in

Carly (right) with Venus veteran and friend Julie (left)

Carly is a beautiful Venus! Nothing can stop her now!

Carly, Coach Liss, and Venus friends at the Moore County YMCA

Listen to Carly’s interview with Liss below, or download it for later:

Laura placed in our recent VT15 Venus Transformation Contest.

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in.

Laura lost 7 inches from her waist and 7 inches from her hips in only 12 weeks! WOW!

Here is what Laura had to say in her own words:

“My experience with the Venus Factor system”

I have to say that I was a teeny bit skeptical about the Venus System when I first went through all the elements. Yes it made sense from a scientific point of view, but there are so many other get fit schemes in the market that I wanted to make sure I was putting my beloved body through a safe and trustworthy system. I then researched and discovered that John Barban is a fitness genius and has plenty of credibility. His explanations are valid, so I make the commitment and signed up! The primary focus I took was on the eating system using the morning fasts about 4 days per week, which made reaching the deficit goal much easier! I was not hungry apart from some days on a couple difficult weeks. Juicing from time to time helped me to get in extra vegetables and healthy nutrients. The forums are also great to read, they were instrumental to me at the beginning to wrap my head around how to really implement this into my life on a daily basis. The fantastic tips I learned from Roberta, Lissa (ah-mazing recipes thanks) as well as the other coaches and regulars on the posts and podcasts gave invaluable, uplifting recommendations. I have weights and other personal fitness gear so I could do modified workouts if I was working from home, on my back deck or would make the trip to a gym. I also bike to work a few times a week though as warned, that can be a little too much and make me more hungry and tired, so I avoided excessive cardio. Since I work in the field of health and physical education I wanted to be walking my talk more since I had got out of past routines over the last year with extra stress and responsibility adding pounds on. The Venus Factor system was the vehicle I needed to get there! The first few weeks of my subscription I lost 4 pounds but there was no contest to start until late August, then I lost the rest of the pounds and inches here in Contest 15! I am delighted to have improved my body to where I feel stronger and more energetic. I can even say focus is better. I have received several compliments and am motivated to keep going in order to shred, shape and tone even more! This is the end of one contest but the beginning of a new framework that is now over the weeks ingrained into me, on how to live a healthier lifestyle. I’m going to keep going until I reach my goals. Thanks Venus Factor!

Laura’s Metrics

Weight

Height

Waist

Shoulders

Hips

Before

151 lb

67.5 in

36 in

45.3 in

42 in

After

141 lb

67.5 in

28.8 in

42.3 in

35 in

Deltas

-10 lb

0 in

-7.3 in

-3 in

-7 in

Listen to Laura’s interview with Liss below, or download it for later:

Heather at one of her heaviest weights before finding Venus and after, WOW!

Heather placed in our recent VT15 Venus Transformation Contest.

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in. Her transformation stretches out further than this 12 week period though, she has lost over 30 lbs using Venus!

Heather before starting Venus in 2015 and after this 12 week contest, unbelievable!

Here is what Heather had to say in her own words:

My experience with Venus has been amazing. My life long search for the program that works is finally over. I have found it and I am hooked. I am a 47 year old woman with a wonderful husband and 4 terrific grown children. However I was struggling with self-image problems, low self-esteem and was just unhappy inside. Like many other Venus ladies, I tried every diet program out there, and purchased several exercise DVD programs. I was successful in my goal of losing weight but as soon as I hit a certain point the motivation to stick with it disappeared and the weight started to climb back up. I had convinced myself that I was just meant to be overweight and my genetic chemistry was preventing me from being slim. Then in March of 2015 I found Venus on Facebook. I listened to John’s story about his sister and how he developed something that was specific to women who battle with this issue. In my first 12 weeks on Venus I lost 20 pounds and 24 inches off my body. One thing I had never done in previous weight loss efforts was to combine the diet and the lifting. I had done both separately thinking it was enough by itself. The other aspect of Venus that was hugely motivating for me was the all the information I got through the podcasts and blog posts. I love, love, love John and Brad’s podcasts. I listened to them whenever I could. They blasted away every myth I grew up believing, every misconception that I had adopted just because a fitness professional said it and I was finally able to break away from all the bad information that I had stored in my head and replaced with the facts that John and Brad’s research had taught me. So after my first 12 weeks of the Venus program, it was May and summer was coming. I decided that I would take a break from actively losing, and applied the same principles of the program but eat at maintenance most days and at a deficit 2 days each week. As August approached I had maintained my 20 pound weight loss. I was ecstatic. I had never ever done that. In the past as soon as I stopped following the weight loss program, instantly the weight started creeping back up. This was when I decided that I would enter the contest to further motivate me to continue my journey. Here I am today at the end of the contest and I am more motivated than ever to continue my journey to get to my ideal Venus Body. I am not there yet but I am loving my new body, my new outlook on life, my new self-confidence. Not just my body changed, but my life changed…and people have noticed. This journey has been amazing and I am so grateful for John, Brad, Liss, and Roberta and all the ladies on the forum for their constant efforts to encourage us, educate us and provide effective tools for every woman to utilize in reaching their fitness goals. Thank you all.

Heather’s Metrics

Weight

Height

Waist

Shoulders

Hips

Before

140 lb

62 in

31.5 in

41.7 in

37 in

After

131 lb

62 in

29 in

38.8 in

36 in

Deltas

-9 lb

0 in

-2.5 in

-3 in

-1 in

Heather is a beautiful Venus! Nothing can stop her now!

Heather’s AWESOME Home Gym

Listen to Heather’s interview with Liss below, or download it for later:

I have answered a few questions lately regarding Venus coaching and how it differs from our Venus Immersion.

Immersion

Venus Immersion is comparable to a “do it yourself” home project. You know it will take you a bit longer than a contractor but it will save money and you will learn the basics along the way. The other benefit is that you have access to Venus training programming much longer than a 12 week period along with access to all the uncensored podcasts.

Coaching

Venus coaching is comparable to hiring a contractor for your home project. You want an expert so it gets done right the first time or maybe you have a special case. Other reasons may be that you have no background knowledge in fitness or your time is valuable so you want to cut to the chase. A coach will get your background and prescribe a nutrition and training regimen based on your needs.

All the coaches do things a little differently based on their personalities. You can request any one of the coaches and if we have space we will accommodate your request. We all touch base with clients weekly and take client biweekly progress reports. Based on that, a coach will modify programming for the client. Clients can email their coach at any time with questions or concerns. I like to talk to my clients face to face so we Skype if the client desires, some of the other coaches do as well.

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in.She lost THREE INCHES off her waist in twelve short weeks!

Christine before and after this 12 week contest, unbelievable!

One of the things that makes the Venus program very unique is that it can take an average physique to cover model as Christine’s journey highlights.

Here is what Christine had to say in her own words:

I was stuck and needed something to help get me to the next level of fitness. I have always been active but never really focused to get results I really wanted for myself. Honestly, I was afraid to fail not in the workout side of things but in the mental aspect regarding food choices. I have always felt I was mentally soft regarding my control on food but strong in the gym side of programs. If I wanted it I would eat it. I have always been like that but as I have gotten older the body wouldn’t bounce back as easy as before. I knew I needed to challenge myself and prove that I could have control. The only person that could change that was me. I needed a program that I could actually follow and still live my life with my family. Venus was my answer and I am so happy I accidentally feel upon it and decided to work with a coach. Venus and Coach Liss gave me the tools and the rest was up to me. It was game on! I reached my goals and I am so HAPPY I accomplished what I set out to do! I am mentally stronger and physically stronger now! Thanks Venus family!

Christine before and after 12 weeks of Venus!

Christine wants to start a tradition of sharing playlists, music is a powerful motivator!

Christine’s Metrics

Weight

Height

Waist

Shoulders

Hips

Before

129 lb

65.5 in

31 in

41 in

35 in

After

126 lb

65.5 in

28 in

40.5 in

35 in

Deltas

-3 lb

0 in

-3 in

-0.5 in

0 in

Christine is a beautiful Venus!

Listen to Christine’s interview with Liss below, or download it for later: